Volunteering on the Galapagos Islands

With Nicolaas Geijer (19) we have our first volunteer ever on the Galapagos Islands. Nicolaas is working on the island San Cristóbal in our partner’s conservation project that aims to preserve the indigenous flora. We asked him to write about his experiences.

The Galapagos Islands are a paradise on Earth. In only the past ten days I have been swimming with sea turtles and stepping over sea lions on white beaches. It took me a few days to realize that I am really here.

There are also less obvious riches on this island. I really like living with a local family here. With six others I return to a warm home after a morning of hard work, where Lucia cooks an incredible lunch. Not to say that her cooking for dinner is any less impressive; fish, chicken and lobster like you have never eaten before. Enough about the food. The family – Lucia, Eduardo and two daughters, are welcoming and friendly. Although energetic, they will give you every privacy to feel comfortable in their home. After lunch we often go explore parts of the island; beaches or pretty places in the higher areas. In the evenings you can go to your room or sit in the living room with the other volunteers. Other nights, some of us decide to go down to the water for a few drinks.

In the mornings we work to preserve the beauty of the island, San Cristóbal, and help out the community. The work is very diverse; one day we will be cutting down blackberry bushes, an invasive plague on the island, and another, we will be making a little path from the street to a local library. Till now, my favorite day was last Friday, when we went to the tortoise sanctuary called Galapaguera. We started by cutting down a type of plant plaguing the tortoises’ habitat and spent the rest of the morning feeding the animals their favorite food; gathered from Eduardo’s land.

Eduardo is an exceptionally hardworking man; we’ve witnessed him being attacked by half a hundred bees and still continue to work harder than all of us after. Most days we work under his necessary guidance. Eduardo owns land in the highlands where we work sometimes, hacking into plagues with machetes, planting plants or collecting fruit. Other days he takes us to work around the local community. Besides his hardworking quality, he is a man who will make you laugh and will do his best to make you feel at home during your stay. It is inspiring to see how Eduardo and the local community work hard to provide for their families and protect the integrity of the island at the same time.

I am very glad I chose to come and work here; I have only been here for two weeks and have seen enough to write another ten pages. Every day I find myself more convinced that this place is a must-see – that one can only appreciate how special these islands are if you have been here. The first time I felt this way was when I ate an orange fresh off a tree. After Eduardo retrieved it by throwing a stick at it, I sliced it in thirds with my machete and later bit into what I could have sworn was the most delicious piece of fruit on Earth. Never thought I would eat an orange, fresh as can be, on the Galapagos Islands.

Nicolaas Geijer

© Local Dreamers, experiences volunteer work Galapagos Islands